Slick analysis
15 Dec 2014
Oil recycling firm opts for PLC solution to track liquids as they are pumped through a collection truck.
US-based used oil recycling and petroleum-based hydrocarbon reclamation firm Aaron Oil has consulted with engineering services company ENGraphted to lead the development of a generation route collection truck.
To do this, Aaron Oil first wanted to track gallon amounts of various liquids pumped through a collection truck by analysing the liquid as it was being loaded onto the truck.
The data can then be used to route different waste products to their respected holding compartments on the truck, and tally up individual totals for the various liquids being pumped on-board.
Some stratified liquids, which Aaron Oil says can often be found within a single waste tank at a customer location, may be considered a liability, while other layers may be considered an asset.
In order to provide an accurate report, as well as introduce an expert level of handling efficiency, Aaron Oil needed to separate the various liquid layers in real-time.
To do this, the company used a Unitronics Vision560 PLC with a V200-18-E6B snap-in I/O module.
The V560 PLC was able to provide the specific communication features, I/O support as well as the HMI preferences that they needed for their application.
The PLC handled all of the on-board automation and data collection on the truck. The PLC accepted an input from an in-line multi-parameter analyser to keep a running total of various liquids pumped through the truck and to route various liquids into different compartments.
The Unitronics PLC also provides usable output to an on-board PC for real-time invoicing purposes – as a means of giving the customer the most accurate gallon amounts.
From there, information is combined with an external GPS-based driver tracking system to promote efficient dispatching and to track driver performance.
“The Unitronics V560 was a unified solution that was rugged and suitable for an on-road application,” says Guy Chetrit of ENGraphted.
“A specific set of I/Os was required, as well as the ability to communicate with other devices on-board, and handle network protocols. The V560 met these requirements and more.
“Other benefits of using the V560 PLC were the HMI features, the adaptability of the I/O modules that were compatible with this PLC and the ease of programming.”
